After half a century in public life, Ted Kennedy is facing his toughest campaign -- against cancer.

Today, America learned that Sen. Kennedy's seizure on Saturday was caused by a malignant brain tumor, and his family is with him as he deals with this blow. They are smiling for the press, and his fellow senators are trying to be upbeat as they call him a "fighter."

But the diagnosis is still bad, and the odds are still low. My hope is simple: that he can continue to savor his public and private life for as long as possible, and that he will know the outpouring of support he is receiving, which is clearly a thank-you to him for his many years of public service to this country.